Lamp guard and support



Dec. 17, 1940. 1.. B. PIERCE LAMP GUARD AND SUPPORT Filed July 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l||||ll III I.

Dec. 17, 1940. L. B. PIERCE LAMP GUARD AND SUPPDRT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1939 Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES- PATENT- OFFICE LAMP GUARD AND SUPPORT Louis B. Pierce, Klamath Falls, Oreg.

Application July 25, 1939, Serial No. 286,452

Claims.

The present invention relates to a combined lamp handle and guard for extension lights.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved lamp handle with a readily detachable guard member of improved construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for retaining a lamp socket in the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp handle having means for supporting the same or clamping the same to an object or supporting surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved guard member and improvedmeans for detachably securing the same in position on the handle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following detailed de-- scription and upon reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- 4 Fig. ,1 is a plan view of a lamp handle and 5 guard embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is an axial section parallel to the plane of the sheet of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a section on'the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5- -5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a detail view on an enlarged scale showing the construction of the handle clamping portion of the guard,

Fig. 7 is a section, on a larger scale, on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectionthrough the end of the casing, on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, l0 indicates a tubular handle formed with a bore I I and an enlarged head l2 at one end. The bore H is enlarged in the head l2 toprovide a chamber l3 for the reception of a weatherproof rubber lamp socket 14; The outside of the socket I4 is provided with circumferentially spaced lugs I5 spaced from the end thereof, and the wall of the chamber is is provided with correspondingly spaced longitudinal channels l6 for the reception of the lugs l5 when the socket I4 is inserted into the chamber i3. The socket is also provided with an annular end flange I! which seats on the shoulder it of the head I 2 when the s'ocket'is in position. 1

The socket i4 is held in place in the chamber I3 by an expanding spring ring I 9 which seats in a groove 20 in the head 12 adjacent the outer end of the chamber l3, the spring ring having- Fig. 6. This construction, permitting free moone end projecting out in the nature of a finger piece l9a so that the ring can readily be removed by hand. The lugs l5 engaging the channels I6 prevent rotary motion of the lamp socket in the handle and the spring ring l9, confining the an- 5 nular flange l1 against the shoulder l8, prevents axial movement thereof.

The lamp guard 2i, according to the invention, is made up of a plurality of resilient spring wires 22 which are-rigidly secured together at a common junction point by welding or otherwise, as indicated at 23. The wires 22 loop inwardly from the junction point 23 and are equally spaced from each other, producing a cage for the lamp bulb.

The inwardly directed ends of the guard wires 22 are each secured as by welding to around arcuate metal section 24. The sections 24 are dimensioned so that when the guard wires are in contracted relation, the sections 24 abut endwise to form a ring fitting within a circumferential groove 25 adjacent the outer end of the head i2. The guard wires are spring tensioned so that the ends normally tend to spring together and thus contract the ring formed by the segments 24 into tight gripping engagement with the groove 25.

The end of the head portion l2 of the handle casing is tapered from both the inner annular groove 20 and the outer circumferential groove 25 to its extremity, as indicated at 26 and 21, 0 respectively, to facilitate mounting of the spring ring I 9 and guard 2|. Due to the tapered end formation, these members may readily be shoved into position, the tapered surfaces guiding them to the respective seats. 5

In order to insure firmer engagement of the guard 2i on. the handle, a contractile coil spring 28 is provided, surrounding the split ring produced by the segments 24. The spring 28 is assembled with the guard parts by screwing the '41 same onto the segments 24 while they are in contracted relation, this being necessitated because the coils of the spring must pass the guard wires 22 connected to the segments. The ends of the spring 28 after assembly are hooked together or are secured to one end of one of the guard wires so that it is in efiect an endless coil. The contractile spring instead of surrounding the seg- 'ments 24 could be threaded through the latter since they'are in tubular form.

In order to eliminate any frictional drag between the segments 24 and the spring 28, the segments are preferably tapered toward the ends on the outer surfaces thereof as indicated at 29 in I tion of the segments in the coil spring without frictional drag results in firmer clampin of the guard on the handle and thus increases the rigidity of the assembly.

The guard member 2| is provided with a folding supporting hook It and a reflector andlight shield 3|. The hook in is swiveled on one of the guard wires adjacent the junction II by having one end turned around the same as at 82 and is shaped so as to conform to the shape of the cage when folded to the position shown in Fig. 1. The reflector and light shield ll is secured to the same guard wire section as is the hook 30, the upper edge of the reflector serving to maintain the swiveled end 32 of the hook in position adjacent the junction 23 of the wires. The book ll being formed of resilient wire may have the free end thereof sprungimder one of the guard wires to hold it fast in collapsed position when not in use. The reflector plate ii is curved to conform to the normal contour of the guard cage andmay be welded or otherwise secured to the guard wire on which it is mounted.

The cord end of the handle it is formed with an axial bore 33 to pass the extension cord 34 and is recessed at opposite sides for a purpose tobe presently described. The recessing of the end of the casing produces a central section 35 of reduced thickness between the recesses, and the walls of this section 35 are in turn recessed on opposite sides as at, 36. The recesses 36 extend nected to the socket wires 4| by means of solderless connectors of the threaded socket type. i

In order to provide for mounting the lamp handle on a suitable fiat support, or clamping the same in position on a supporting member such as a shelf, post or the like, a folding stand or clamp is mounted on the handle II. This stand comprises a pair of pivotallyconnected arms 43, shaped to lie flat against the casing seated in channels formed in the surface of the same when in collapsed position, as shown. The arms 43 are pivoted together at their forward ends as at 44 and one of them is formed with a socket extension 45 which constitutes a ball socket 46 of a ball and socket joint. The ball part 41 of the joint is carried by a plate 48 riveted to the handle it and disposed in a recess 49 in the handle at the juncture of the head l2 therewith.

The bracket arms 43 each have a foot pad 50 pivotally connected to the rear ends thereof, the pads 50 being disposed in the recesses ll formed at the end of the handle III as previously mentioned. The pads 50 are shaped to conform to the contour of the handle when disposed in the recesses 5|.

Provision is made for grounding the guard cage and supporting bracket through the medium of a metal strip 52, one end of which extends into the groove 25, as seen in Fig. 3, the strip extending inside the handle casing and being connected to the ball member of the ball and socket Joint through the medium of the rivets 53 by which the ball is secured to the casing. A ground wire 54 is connected to the inner end of the strip 52.

With this assembly the light may readily be mounted in any convenient place or attached to a convenient support and the light shield and reflecior can be turned to correct position merely by turning the guard around in the groove II.

The guard cage can easily be removed and replaced without use of tools of any kind due to the expansibility of the groove engaging portion thereof, thereby making the replacement of the lamp bulb a simple and convenient operation.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described by way of illustration, it will be understood that various modiflcations in the details of construction may sugest themselves and are to be considered as forming part of the present invention, within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1 A lamp guard compriisng a handle having a socket mounted in one end thereof, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end, a lamp. guard comprising a plurality of longitudinally looped resilient members Joined at one end at a common center and having the other ends thereof spring tensioned toward a common center, an arcuate cross member secured to the last mentioned end of each of said resilient members, and a contractile coil spring carried by and housing the arcuate cross members thereby forming a resilient collar adapted to engage in said circumferential groove to mount said guard on said handle.

2. A lamp guard comprising a handle having a socket mounted in one end thereof, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end, a lamp guard comprising a plurality of longitudinally looped resilient members joined at one end at a common center and having the other ends thereof spring tensioned toward a common center, an arcuate cross member secured to the last mentioned end of each of said resilient members, a contractile coil spring member carried by said arcuate cross members with the latter disposed within said coil to form a resilient collar adapted to engage in said circumferential groove to mount said guard on said handle, and a grounded metal strip having one end extending into said circumferential groove adapted to make contact with a part of said guard when the latter is mounted on said handle.

3. A lamp handle and guard comprising a handle including a rigid body having a socket chamber in one end thereof, the wall of said socket chamber having spaced longitudinal grooves therein, a socket in said chamber having circumferentially spaced lugs adapted to fit in said grooves, a flange adjacent the outer end of said socket, a shoulder adjacent the outer end of said chamber to seat said flange for limiting inward movement ofsaid socket, said handle having an annular groove adjacent said shoulder, a spring ring engaged in said groove and in contact with the flange on said socket to retain said socket in said chamber, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end thereof, a guard member comprising a plurality of resilient-longitudinal members having inwardly directed ends tensioned toward a common center, arcuate cross members secured to the inner ends of said longitudinal members and a contractile coil spring member carried by said resilient longitudinal members with said arcuate cross members disposed within said coil to form a resilient collar adapted to engage in said circumferential groove to mount said guard on said handle.

4.- A lamp guard comprising a handle having a socket mounted in one end thereof, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end, a lamp guard comprising a plurality of longitudinally looped resilient members joined at one end at a common center and having the other ends thereof spring tensioned toward a common center, an arcuate cross member secured to the last mentioned end of each of said resilient members and adapted each to engage in said circumferential groove to mount said guard on said handle, a supporting unit swivelled on said handle comprising a pair of pivotally connected arms shaped to conform to the contour of the handle when in a collapsed position, said handle having oppositely disposed recesses adjacent the end thereof opposite said socket, and a foot pad pivotally connected tothe free end of each of said arms and adapted to 'seat in said recesses when said arms are collapsed against the handle.

5. A lamp guard comprising a handle having a socket mounted in one end thereof, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end, aiamp guard comprising a plurality of longitudinally looped resilient members joined at one end at a common center and having the other ends thereof spring tensioned toward a common center, an arcuate cross member secured to the last mentioned end of each of said resilient members and adapted each to engage in said circumferential groove to mount said guard on said handle, a ball member mounted on said handle, a supporting unit swivelled on said ball member comprising a pair of pivotally connected arms shaped to conform to the contour of said handle when in a collapsed position, and a grounded metal strip having one end extending into said circumferential groove to contact said' guard and extending inside said handle and connected to said ball member to ground the supporting unit carried thereby.

6. A combined lamp guard and support comprising a tubular handle member having an enlarged head at one end, a lamp socket mounted in said head, said head having a circumferential groove adjacent the end thereof, a lamp guard comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending resilient members joined together at one end thereof and having the other ends thereof spring tensioned toward a common center, an arcuate cross piece secured to the last mentioned end of each of said resilient members and adapted each to engage in said groove to mount said guard on said head, said handle having oppositely disposed recesses formed in the other end thereof defining a longitudinally extending rib member, said rib member being axially bored for passage ofan electric cable cord and having recesses in opposite sides thereof exposing a cord extending through said bore, cord clamping plates disposed in the recesses in said rib, a supporting unit swivelled on said handle comprising a pair of pivotally connected arms shaped to conform to the contour of said casing when in a collapsed position, and a foot pad pivotally connected to the outer end of each of said arms adapted to seat in said oppositely disposed recesses in the last mentioned end of said handle member when said arms are in collapsed position to conceal said cord clamping plates.

7. A lamp holder and guard comprising a handle having a socket mounted in one end thereof, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end thereof, a quick detachable guard unit comprising a plurality of longitudinally bowed members joined at one end thereof, an arcuate cross member secured to the other end of each of said bowed members, and a contractile coil spring member carried by said bowed members with said arcuate cross members disposed in the bore of the coil spring to form a resilient collar adapted to seat in said circumferential groove aforesaid.

8. A lamp holder and guard according to claim 7 in which said handle is tapered from said circumferential groove to the end thereof to provide a guiding cam surface adapted to expand said resilient collar in mounting the guard unit on the handle.

9. A lamp holder and guard comprising a handle having a socket mounted in one end thereof, said handle having a circumferential groove adjacent the socket end thereof, a quick detachable guard unit comprising a plurality of longitudinally bowed members joined at one end thereof, an arcuate cross member secured to the other end of each of said bowed members, said arcuate cross members being substantially circular in cross section and tapered at the ends thereof, and

a contractile coil spring member carried by said 

